The moderation with which the wise legislator judges of everything should be seen in his laws.
It is essential for the preservation of liberty that the legislative, executive, and judicial powers should be separate.
To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.
Laws should be made by those who have to obey them.
Liberty is the right to do whatever the law permits.
A man is born free but everywhere he is in chains.
The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.
It is not the criminal things which are hardest to deal with, but the legal.
There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.
In a state of slavery, the soul is without value, and the state without force.
If I knew something useful to my country, and harmful to a neighboring state, I would not let others know it.
Perfect obedience is the brightest ornament of the courts of justice.
What can be done by parliament, parliament may undo.
Despotism is a long chain, one end of which is attached to the extinguished funeral pyre; and the other to the feet of the emperors.
I have never known any distress that an hour’s reading did not relieve.
The evil only reach out to what suits them.
The climate has an influence on the soul, and the spirit of legislators varies with the temperature of the country.
Baron de Montesquieu Quotes – Empowering Minds, Inspiring Change part 2
Necessity is always an adequate motive for the laws. It is the only one that should determine the need for the particular form of each government.
Laws are not commanded accidentally. In general, they are the result of dispositions of nature.
Public happiness is nothing but that which results from security.
Honor is the inner source of our soul, and the freedom that reigns over the lands.
It is not only our ruler who should be the protector of our happiness, but also the natural and rightful protector of the oppressed.
Opinions have more power than facts, and without it we could only serve the blind force of nature.
You should abstain from doing evil, for fear may be a powerful motive to keep you from doing good.
It is in the morals of men that the impartiality and the fine essence of politics reside.
The laws that lead men to virtue are the rules that apply to them.
The more a nation is enlightened, the more liberty is found.
One can achieve more by example than by precept.
It is the greatest happiness which the law can give us, but the greatest suffering is when it oversteps its bounds.
Laws should be so appropriate that democracy can enjoy them while the aristocrat finds them bearable.
A state is strong when the laws are stronger than the evil.
We should not care whether it is bitter or sweet in order to drink from the cup of the law.
The supreme law should balance the passions of men.
The most necessary things in our laws are the ones that are convenient.
In the republic, there is no better guarantee than good legislation.
It is the common interest that destroys individual rights.
The preservation of liberty requires more than just eternal vigilance; it requires an understanding of the laws that govern it.
A nation’s greatness is measured by its ability to uphold the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
Inequality is a natural consequence of liberty; it is as impossible to prevent as it is to prevent mankind from human vices.
True equality is not the equal distribution of wealth, but the equal protection of individual rights.
The public good is in no danger when the laws are understood and respected by the people.
The purpose of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.
The laws that preserve liberty must be obeyed, even when they seem inconvenient or burdensome.
A person’s rights extend only as far as they do not infringe on the rights of others.
The power of the government should be limited to prevent the abuse of power and protect the rights of the individual.
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